A magnificent film on an unforgettable print. This film one presents surreal empathy in a Western classic that will be remembered for ages. The festival opened with The Searcherson a 70 MM projection print. From the visionary mind of John Ford, The Searchers helped me appreciate how captivating realism is when displayed cinematically. With John Wayne (as Ethan Edwards), Jeffrey Hunter (as Martin Pawley) Vera Miles (as Laurie Jorgensen), and too many others to name, The Searchers is a boiling ride of tension and choices that I forgot existed. The print format and the array of confrontational moments in the western setting made me feel like I was in a time machine. There is nothing like viewing an essential film in the correct format. The Searchers on 70 MM print was truly one of the most spellbinding portraits of moving images I have ever experienced at Ebertfest.